SNOW and sleet will hit the UK by the end of the week as a cold front brings icy temperatures and blustery winds after a mild Tuesday according to the Met Office.

This week's weather will be mild at the beginning before a cold front brings the risk of snow from Wednesday onwards with temperatures plummeting throughout the country by Friday. Most of the UK will see mild temperatures on Monday and Tuesday with moist Atlantic air moving in on Monday night. The moist air will bring cloud cover and allow mild temperatures for Tuesday.

There will be a mild start to Tuesday which will generally be frost free across the country, with temperatures averaging 9 to 11 degrees.

Along the cold front, there will be sporadic rain throughout the week, with most of the wet weather remaining in Western Scotland and Northern Ireland through Tuesday and Wednesday, but these areas will see clear skies by Thursday and Friday.

By the early hours of Wednesday, the cold front will have over its way across Northern Ireland and Scotland and down into England bringing a couple of hours of heavy rainfall and strong winds.

Mr McGivern said: “This cold front will sweep through quite quickly and it helps to clear all the cloud leading to brighter skies on Wednesday afternoon.”